A Few Things About The Enterprise Architecture Software

Enterprise Architecture training is an absolute requirement for any enterprisearchitect. Many organisations are today implementing and using this methodology because of the advantages it can provide to the company in terms of giving a greater insight into its operations and processes. This insight allows the company to better manage change from their present state to their future state. This management of the transition therefore allows a smooth road map to enhanced performance through effective management.Training sessions can be carried out as part of a public course, or alternatively specifically designed by a training provider todeliver bespoke services tailored around the customer’s needs.

So which is the best approach, pubic course or in-house?

Well that would depend on the company and where they are in their EA journey.

If a company is just starting out, then a public course to give an overview of Enterprise Architecture may be appropriate for one or two people, but if you are actually looking to implement a system then I would recommend looking at a service provider who will come in and assess your needs and create a course based around those needs. This will allow you to not only receive excellent training with real world examples, but also allow you to start creating your architecture as part of the training course. This is because a bespoke course would generally involve using EA software rather than just say PowerPoint slides. What’s more the course would be based on your needs so when you look at the practical examples, those examples would be those of your company. This makes the course far more relevant, as you would typically understand the needs and the outcomes, thus getting a better appreciation of the ultimate purpose of the EA.

So what would a course cover?

Well most courses would cover the TOGAF methodology and perhaps touch on Archimate. The TOGAF methodology is definitely the right pace to start. However on its own it is only part of the jigsaw. TOGAF will give you the ‘blueprint’ to start your EA journey, but it does not necessarily give you the tools and materials to build anything. What I mean by this, is the TOGAF on its own will only take you so far, you still need to be able to implement the methodology and make it easy for the business community to understand. This is where EA tools come in. Without an EA tool EA will not ‘come to life’.

So what you really need when you start your EA journey, is a course that covers the methodolgy, but also a course that shows you how to actually use the methodology in a real world situation. Showing actual examples of how organisations have interpreted TOGAF and how they have communicated it to their business users. After all if the business does not understand what EA is meant to be doing for them, then the EA initiative will never leave the IT domain and ultimately will never become the strategic management tool that it is intended to become.

Jason Lindsay always advises businesses on how to improve their efficiency for greater growth. He is an independent consultant and would recommend the reader to check out Performance Analytics Limited, if they have an interest in this area, as they provideexcellent enterprise architecture softwareconsultancy services and training. For more details on its enterprise architecture training, visit the company’s website.